The use of steam tables for keeping food hot has been in existence for many, many years. Several types of lids have been provided for these containers such as those illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,521,867 and 2,471,420. In these types of containers, the lids are not readily moveable to an opened position and be retained in that position so that food can be removed and are of such a size to be bulky and awkward when it is desired to remove them completely from the container. In spite of the number of years of use of steam tables, there does not exist a simple and inexpensive way of providing a lid for a container for a steam table which is useable under a variety of conditions and is not bulky or awkward to handle. The foregoing problems also exist in keeping food at or below room temperatures. Another problem that exists relates to health and sanitation. In many instances, such as during rush hours, the lids would be removed from a plurality of containers and stacked somewhere. After the rush had diminished, the lids are put back on the container. Many times the lids will not be placed back on the same container. Also, during the time that the lids are removed, sanitary conditions for the lids and the food do not prevail.